68 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Saturday, September 12, 2009
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
An interactive performance installation that uses four televisions, 12 headsets, a sturdy bed and 100 ...
more >> classic musicals to explore issues of isolation, community, secret pleasures and the age-old question, When are you alone? And when are you lonely?
Every day from 9am-5pm for 5 days – the equivalent of a 40hr work week – Brian Lobel will dance nonstop in his bedroom, inviting any and all passersby to join him, to dance with him, to watch a musical film of their choice or to simply stand inside and watch.
The piece links Depression-era dance marathons, where contestants danced until they dropped in pursuit of fame and fortune, to young boys dancing in their bedroom after school, where they too dance until they drop, often hoping for fame and fortune. The piece is both fun and frightening, exhausting and exhilarating and a reflection on loneliness, labor, and labors of love.
Because the performance is durational, audience members can come and go at any time and stay for as long as they choose.
9:00 am
free, no reservation required
About 24 miles, fast pace. Walk most of the route of the NYC Marathon, including 4 boroughs and 4 bridges. ...
more >> There are countless drop-off points along the way. There may also be an optional "off-marathon" extension of the walk. Bring water and bring (or buy) lunch. Bad weather does not cancel, but may shorten.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
A chance to get to know the artists in the exhibition that features twelve works by four women artists ...
more >> depicting minimalist abstract forms. Artists: Julie Hedrick, Heather Hutchison, Carole Seborovski and Francisca Sutil.
An exclusive look at what goes on in Broadway’s historic playhouses before the audience comes in. Theatre ...
more >> tours depart on a continuous basis from 10:00 a.m. through noon.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
An exclusive look at what goes on in Broadway’s historic playhouses before the audience comes in. Theatre ...
more >> tours depart on a continuous basis from 10:00 a.m. through noon.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
An exclusive look at what goes on in Broadway’s historic playhouses before the audience comes in. Theatre ...
more >> tours depart on a continuous basis from 10:00 a.m. through noon.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Join 20-minute instructional paddles, and explore the Hudson River first hand. Please wear a bathing ...
more >> suit or shorts and a t-shirt, and know how to swim.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Come celebrate the 2nd annual Historic House Festival and enjoy events including docent-led tours, a ...
more >> historic landscape tour and scavenger hunt.
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
10:00 am
free, no reservation required
Sketch and paint the Hudson River and neighboring parks with a professional artist/educator. Materials ...
more >> provided or bring your own.
10:30 am
free, no reservation required
5 miles, slow pace, flat. From Grand Army Plaza down Union St., over to Court St., then down Court Street ...
more >> to Brooklyn Bridge, across Bridge to Chinatown, ending hike at a Chinese restaurant. Rain cancels.
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history ...
more >> of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
2-3 miles, easy walk. Go thru Ironbound area, visit art galleries. Eat in Newark. Rain cancels.
New York City, NY; NYC
11:00 am
$3, plus $1.75...
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Upper West Side area (96th St to 160th St). Moderate walking, some hills, about three to four hours. ...
more >> Bring lunch, water, binoculars or a camera with optical zoom lens. Heavy rain cancels.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
The best of what outdoor theatre festivals in the Netherlands has to offer, including site-specific performances ...
more >> and art.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Walk through a scenic area on the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for ...
more >> most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Editor's Pick
Robinson, the singer and songwriter of hits like "Tears of a Clown, "Shop Around," "The Way You Do the ...
more >> Things You Do," "Going to a Go-Go," "More Love, "Cruisin'" and "Being with You," will perform songs from his new album Time Flies When You're Having Fun as well as classic hits.
11:15 am
free, no reservation required
Discover the Village with a free walking tour that weaves together the highlights of history with delicious ...
more >> inside stories. The free walking tours of St. Marks Place & 8th Street are led by Arthur Marks.
11:30 am
free, no reservation required
Hands on using wireless laptops. Explore the redesigned Library website and catalog. Search for books ...
more >> and other materials; discover online resources, digital collections, blogs, and more.
Capoeira is a lively martial art that originated in Brazil over 450 years ago. Self-defense techniques ...
more >> are concealed by graceful dance moves and spectacular acrobatics set to music. Taught by Professor Abará, classes are designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Climb the narrow staircase to see the fourth floor servants’ quarters (normally off limits to visitors), ...
more >> where the young Irish women who served the family lived and did some of their work. You’ll also hear about the hardship of a mid-19th-century life “in service.”
The exhibit consists of oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, graphics, photography, sculpture, and ...
more >> crafts including fabric, jewelry, glass, wood, and ceramics.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The exhibit consists of oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, graphics, photography, sculpture, and ...
more >> crafts including fabric, jewelry, glass, wood, and ceramics.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Weaves together history, events, architecture, and people of birthplace of NY, financial capital of the ...
more >> world, and hottest new neighborhood in the city. Stops include U.S. Custom House, Trinity Church, Wall Street, NY Stock Exchange, other architectural and cultural sites. Rain or shine.
12:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Enjoy a docent-led tour, a historic landscape tour, and a scavenger hunt of the Mansion.
New York City, NY; NYC
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history ...
more >> of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
It’s your chance to climb to the top of the beloved star of the children’s classic The Little Red ...
more >> Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Discussion of the significance and implications of new work by contemporary Dutch artists who, over the ...
more >> past twenty years, have taken contemporary Holland as their point of departure.
IThis will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience, and a reception open to the public where attendees can mingle with the artists and panelists.
1:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The U.S. premiere of three recent documentaries by Beck Cole, one of Australia's most talented filmmakers. ...
more >> Cole will screen and discuss the following works:
A Fair Deal for A Dark Race (2008, 55 min.) tells the story of Indigenous struggle for citizenship in Australia; it was part of the acclaimed 2008 Australian public-television series, First Australians.
Lore of Love (2005, 25 min.; camera: Warwick Thornton), follows Urban Indigenous teen Jessie Bartlett on a journey with her feisty Pintupi grandmothers to their homelands, where they teach her the lore of love – the traditional way.
Making Samson and Delilah: The Documentary (2009, 55 min.) goes behind the scenes with Aboriginal teens Marissa Gibson and Rowan McNamara as they negotiate their lead roles in the feature film Samson and Delilah (director, Warwick Thornton), which in 2009 won the prestigious Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
A discussion with Beck Cole, Warwick Thornton, and Faye Ginsburg, director, NYU's Center for Media, Culture and History, will follow the screenings.
Editor's Pick
The Emmy-winning actress and noted animal lover joins dog rescuer Randy Grim as he offers both resourceful ...
more >> and humorous advice in the new book on curing the problem dogs in your life: Don't Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Two collective farmers are competing with each other to see who can harvest the most. The rivalry between ...
more >> the two brigade leaders, however, ends with romance and a traditional autumn wedding.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The tour explores the social and political history of the Union Square neighborhood through discussions ...
more >> of the people, history, architecture, and forces that have shaped this community. You’ll hear how Union Square got its name, see where the legendary Tiffany & Co. once stood, and learn how to read the clock (yes, it’s a clock!) on “The Metronome” sculpture and so much more!
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
All adults with a love for children’s literature are invited to this informal, relaxed discussion of ...
more >> books, reading, and youth.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Highlights : City College, Hamilton Heights Historic District, Abyssinian Baptist Church, Strivers Row, ...
more >> and more.
Crossing the Line 2009 opens with Le Bal NYC, a dance party/picnic. Choreographers from France, including ...
more >> Germaine Acogny, Odile Duboc, Latifa Laâbissi, and Olivier Dubois present a fresh new take on the bal populaire, creating short dances to be taught section by section to the public.
Simultaneously, Omnivore New York, a brigade of innovative master chefs from both France and New York, reinvent the idea of the picnic. Samples of Crossing the Line Bento Boxes will be available, bringing together individual elements by Inaki Aizpitarte, Pascal Barbot, Alexandre Gauthier, Michel Bras, David Chang, and Wylie Dufresne.
Bring your own picnic for this family-friendly celebration in the park.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit the tiny ...
more >> 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature. Tour is approximately one hour.
2:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The best works from the sound:frame festival, the worldwide leading VJ/DJ event from Vienna. The exhibit ...
more >> will show seven videos and installations by artists from Europe and the USA.
In the past years, Vienna has gained the reputation of being the "Capital of the Projections." Musicians, visual artists, VJs (video jockeys), and DJs (disk jockeys) all meet here to melt sound and moving pictures together and create new synergies. A month-long, annual festival, sound:frame brings to life large exhibits, numerous live events and performances, as well as a broad selection of workshops, lectures, and panel discussions in various locations throughout Vienna and all of Europe.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The three woman of Angel Band (pictured) makes big noise. Boisterous, sad, sweet, goofy, glorious and ...
more >> angelic. Any which way you look at it this stuff gets your attention. Whether it’s the crazy tight three part harmony, the killer backup playing, the stories, the passion or the compassion, it gets your attention.
Doug and Telisha Williams have had an incredible year. Not only have they seen continued success for their debut album Rope Around My Heart, but they've shared stages with some real legends. Lucinda Williams, Darrell Scott and Charlie Louvin have all had D & T kick off their shows.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Was Shakespeare actually a Marrano Jewish woman? This production, guided by a radical new dramaturgy, ...
more >> demonstrates the idea with performances of anti-Christian satires in three of Shakespeare's best-known tragedies.
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
On the Hudson River, Walt Whitman and Dante Aligheri
converse about life along New York's shoreline. ...
more >> This
performance is a historic invocation of Henry Hudson's
era of 1609 in 2009.
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
4:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A panel discussion featuring Derik Badman, Richard Hahn, Patrick McDonnell, Andrei Molotiu, Anders Pearson, ...
more >> Henrik Rehr and Alexey Sokolin on how abstraction and non-representation functions in the medium of comics.
Editor's Pick
Choreographer Jill Sigman and composer Kristin Norderval bring their mobile, interactive installaion-performance ...
more >> piece. Passersby will be asked to contribute “confessions” about their physical and emotional trash. These recorded or written testimonials will then be incorporated into an instant sound/movement performance.
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
On the Hudson River, Walt Whitman and Dante Aligheri
converse about life along New York's shoreline. ...
more >> This
performance is a historic invocation of Henry Hudson's
era of 1609 in 2009.
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
The Auerglass is a two-person wooden pump organ designed by the artist Tauba Auerbach with her friend ...
more >> Cameron Mesirow of the band Glasser. The instrument cannot be played alone. It requires two people to play. One player has to pump in order for the other to play and vice versa. There is a four-octave scale that is divided so that each of the two players plays every other note.
Auerbach and Mesirow will play a composition written specifically for the instrument. It combines music that Auerbach wrote as a child, songs from Glasser and new material. Ida Falck Øien, who creates the costumes for Glasser, has created special costumes with shifting states for the Auerglass players to wear.
5:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A festival devoted to sound and its roles in contemporary music. The festival creates a forum for dialogue ...
more >> about sound.
Featuring DJ Dorian Concept and Live Video Projection by Astrid Steiner.
In celebration of the latest edition in this series that for over 60 years has been the standard of excellence ...
more >> for one-act plays in America, included writers discuss their work and actors to perform excerpts from the featured plays.
5:30 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
An exhibition of works by the New York-based photographer.
Manor was born in Israel and studied at the ...
more >> Fashion Institute of Technology. Her work has more than one dimension. In the one hand, she is shooting fashion and lifestyle, and in the other hand, she realizes tough provoking self-portraits.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
An exhibition of works by the New York-based photographer. Manor was born in Israel and studied at the ...
more >> Fashion Institute of Technology. Her work has more than one dimension. In the one hand, she is shooting fashion and lifestyle, and in the other hand, she realizes tough provoking self-portraits. In any of her works, she takes glamorous pictures, creating unique stories in a special universe for each series, intensifying the impressions and focusing on a suggestion or on a detail.
Manor was the first- and second-place winner in the beauty category of the Prix de la Photographie Paris 2008, won second place in the self-portraiture category and received the portfolio merit award from Black & White magazine in June 2008.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A solo exhibition featuring two new films by Uruguay-born Alejandro Cesarco. These works continue Cesarco’s ...
more >> investigation of the narrative and affective possibilities of conceptual art. Both films are re-enactments or translations which push the resonant limits of narrative, enacting processes of remembering and forgetting.
Everness (2008) is a looped film installation made up of five chapters: a remake of the very last scene of James Joyce's "The Dead," a monologue on the meaning of tragedy, a breakfast scene, and two songs: a Tropacalista melody penned by Caetano Veloso during his exile from Brazil, and a republican chant from the Spanish civil war. The work describes ideas typically associated with youth—a first love, the loss of innocence, a sense of sincerity and political commitment. But it unfolds in an uncertainly tense domestic space that seems at once both interior and exterior, between a naïve present and an evocative past.
Zeide Isaac (2009) is a work of fiction rooted in reality, produced collaboratively by Cesarco and his grandfather Isaac, who is 94 years old and a survivor of the Holocaust. Whereas standard testimonies of survival presuppose an overriding fidelity to events, here Cesarco has written a script that his grandfather performs, as both actor and witness. As one of the last of his generation, he embodies the transfer of these narratives from first to third person. His performance is a reflection on the act of memory, and the limitations and possibilities of testimony as meaningful form.
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
In addition to his recent celebrity-studded ad campaign for Marc Jacobs, Teller is known for his raw, ...
more >> unretouched commercial and autobiographical images. Teller will speak with New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn, who also writes the blog On the Runway for NYTimes.com.
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Join folks from the Artists for the 23rd Century in a meet-up and workshop at which they discuss the ...
more >> utility of art in building community and promoting justice. Borrowing techniques from Augusto Boal, and provoked into existence under the tutelage of Nobel winner and El Salvadorian activist Marta Benevides, Artists for the 23rd Century asks you to join them in a night of collaborative artmaking and story-sharing.
7:00 pm
$5 suggested admission
Watch outdoor documentary features and shorts that are solar-powered, including Burning in the Sun, Addicted ...
more >> to Plastic, A Killer Bargain, and more. Topics include water pollution and safety, solar energy potential, the problems inherent in the plastic and textile industry and much more. Also, popcorn, trivia, and the "Cookie Competition."
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
A screening of thesis projects by 2009 graduates of the MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department.
New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Alan Gilbert, conductor.
This event has been postponed to a future ...
more >> season due to budgetary constraints resulting from the current economic climate. Please see Sept 16, 9:45 am.
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
8:00 pm
free, no reservation required
THIS WILL OCCUR ONLY ON CLEAR NIGHTS, SO PLEASE CALL AHEAD TO CONFIRM.
Come look through a telescope ...
more >> at the stars. The Inwood Astronomy Project is the largest public outreach program in New York City, hoping to get 5000 New Yorkers to come look through a telescope for the first time. They will be giving away posters, postcards, and other doodads.
There is always a telescope to look through, and a knowledgeable astronomer to answer questions. Bring a flashlight for the climb to the hilltop. Call for details.
8:30 pm
free, no reservation required